When Italy agreed to join the allies in 1915, France and Britain secretly promised to give Italy certain Austro-Hungarian territrories. During the war Benito Mussolini rejected socialism for intense nationalism. he also organized veterans and other discontented Italians into the Fascist party. Mussolini was a fiery and charismatic speaker. he promised to end corruption and replace turmoil with order. He also spoke of reviving Roman greatness, pledging to turn the Mediterranean into a '
Mussolini and Hitler
'Roman Lake'' once again.
Mussolini and Hitler
Mussolini Gains Control
Mussolini organized supporters into "combat squads". the squads wore black shirts. Black shirts rejected the democratic process, instead they favored violent action. fascist gangs intimidated and terrorized elected officials in northern Italy. Many Italians expected this behavior because they had also lost faith in the government.
In 1922 Fascists tried for power. In the March of Rome, thousands and thousands of fascists started for the capital. King Victor Emmanuel III feared civil war, therefore he asked Mussolini to form a government as prime minister. Mussolini on October 30, 1922, entered the city triumphantly. HE had obtained nominally legal, constitutional appointment from the king of Italy to lead.
CHECKPOINT~ How did postwar disillusionment contribute to Mussolini's rise?:
The government disagreed on many issues and split into feuding factions and Italy's king did not want a civil war. Worker's went on strike or seized factories and veterans from war came home to unemployment. Also, trade declined and taxes rose.
Mussolini's Rule
By 1925, Mussolini had assumed more power and taken the title Il Duce, "The Leader." He replaced elected officials with Fascist supporters. In 1929, Mussolini got support from Pope Pius XI because he recognized Vatican City as an independent state even though the pope continued to disagree with some of Mussolini's goals.
State Control of the Economy
Mussolini brought the economy under state control to spur economic growth and end conflicts between owners and workers. Mussolini's system favored the upper classes and industrial leaders. Success came at the expense of workers and they were forbidden to strike, and their wages were kept low.
The Individual and the State
Mussolini
Mussolini's system was loyal to the state replaced conflicting individual goals. Men, women,and children were bombarded with slogans glorifying the state and Mussolini. Loud speakers blared out the words, "Believe! Obey! Fight!" Men had to be ruthless, and selfless warriors fighting for the glory of Italy and women were pushed out of paying jobs which caused them to be poor. Because of that, Mussolini called on women to "win the battle of motherhood." The women who gave birth to more that fourteen children, they received a medal from Il Duce him self.
Fascist youth groups toughened children and taught them to obey strict military discipline. The children learned about the glories of ancient Rome. By the 1930s, a generation of young soldiers stood ready to back Il Duce's drive to expand Italian power.
The Nature of Fascism
Mussolini built the first form of government in which a one-party dictatorship attempts to regulate every aspect of the lives of its citizens. This form of government was called the totalitarian state and this kind of government rose under other kinds of ideology.
What is Fascism?
Today, historians still debate the real nature of Mussolini’s fascist ideology. Fascists had no unifying theory as Marxists did. Now days, we generally used the term fascism to describe any centralized, authoritarian government that is not communist whose policies glorify the state over the individual and are destructive to basic human rights. In the 1920s and 1930s, fascism meant different things in different countries.
The Appeal of Fascism
-promised a strong, stable government and an end to the political feuding that paralyzed democracy in Italy
-Mussolini gave off a sense of power and confidence at a time of disorder and his intense nationalism revived national pride
-at first, newspapers in Britain, France, and North America praised the discipline of his government
-Western democracies then protested when Mussolini embarked on a course of foreign conquest
Fascism Compared to Communism
-fascists were the sworn enemies of socialists and communists
-communists worked for international change while fascists pursued nationalist goals
-fascists supported a society with defined classes and found allies among business leaders, wealthy landowners, and the lower middle class
-communists supported a classless society and they won support among both urban and agricultural workers
-they both got power by inspiring a blind devotion to the state
-both used terror to guard their power and both flourished during economic hard times by promoting extreme programs of social change
Looking Ahead
-Three systems of government competed for influence in postwar Europe.
-Democracy endured in Britain and France but faced and uphill struggle in hard times.
-Communism emerged in Russia and won support elsewhere.
-In Italy, fascism offered a different option. As the Great Depression spread, other nations looked to fascist leaders.
Mussolini's Rise to Power.png "Italion national flag during Mussolini's rule")
Italion national flag during Mussolini's rule
When Italy agreed to join the allies in 1915, France and Britain secretly promised to give Italy certain Austro-Hungarian territrories. During the war Benito Mussolini rejected socialism for intense nationalism. he also organized veterans and other discontented Italians into the Fascist party. Mussolini was a fiery and charismatic speaker. he promised to end corruption and replace turmoil with order. He also spoke of reviving Roman greatness, pledging to turn the Mediterranean into a '
Mussolini and Hitler
'Roman Lake'' once again. 
Mussolini and Hitler
Mussolini Gains Control
Mussolini organized supporters into "combat squads". the squads wore black shirts. Black shirts rejected the democratic process, instead they favored violent action. fascist gangs intimidated and terrorized elected officials in northern Italy. Many Italians expected this behavior because they had also lost faith in the government.
In 1922 Fascists tried for power. In the March of Rome, thousands and thousands of fascists started for the capital. King Victor Emmanuel III feared civil war, therefore he asked Mussolini to form a government as prime minister. Mussolini on October 30, 1922, entered the city triumphantly. HE had obtained nominally legal, constitutional appointment from the king of Italy to lead.
CHECKPOINT~ How did postwar disillusionment contribute to Mussolini's rise?:
The government disagreed on many issues and split into feuding factions and Italy's king did not want a civil war. Worker's went on strike or seized factories and veterans from war came home to unemployment. Also, trade declined and taxes rose.
Mussolini's Rule
By 1925, Mussolini had assumed more power and taken the title Il Duce, "The Leader." He replaced elected officials with Fascist supporters. In 1929, Mussolini got support from Pope Pius XI because he recognized Vatican City as an independent state even though the pope continued to disagree with some of Mussolini's goals.
State Control of the Economy
Mussolini brought the economy under state control to spur economic growth and end conflicts between owners and workers. Mussolini's system favored the upper classes and industrial leaders. Success came at the expense of workers and they were forbidden to strike, and their wages were kept low.
The Individual and the State
Mussolini
Mussolini's system was loyal to the state replaced conflicting individual goals. Men, women,and children were bombarded with slogans glorifying the state and Mussolini. Loud speakers blared out the words, "Believe! Obey! Fight!" Men had to be ruthless, and selfless warriors fighting for the glory of Italy and women were pushed out of paying jobs which caused them to be poor. Because of that, Mussolini called on women to "win the battle of motherhood." The women who gave birth to more that fourteen children, they received a medal from Il Duce him self.
Fascist youth groups toughened children and taught them to obey strict military discipline. The children learned about the glories of ancient Rome. By the 1930s, a generation of young soldiers stood ready to back Il Duce's drive to expand Italian power.
The Nature of Fascism
Mussolini built the first form of government in which a one-party dictatorship attempts to regulate every aspect of the lives of its citizens. This form of government was called the totalitarian state and this kind of government rose under other kinds of ideology.
What is Fascism?
Today, historians still debate the real nature of Mussolini’s fascist ideology. Fascists had no unifying theory as Marxists did. Now days, we generally used the term fascism to describe any centralized, authoritarian government that is not communist whose policies glorify the state over the individual and are destructive to basic human rights. In the 1920s and 1930s, fascism meant different things in different countries.
The Appeal of Fascism
-promised a strong, stable government and an end to the political feuding that paralyzed democracy in Italy
-Mussolini gave off a sense of power and confidence at a time of disorder and his intense nationalism revived national pride
-at first, newspapers in Britain, France, and North America praised the discipline of his government
-Western democracies then protested when Mussolini embarked on a course of foreign conquest
Fascism Compared to Communism
-fascists were the sworn enemies of socialists and communists
-communists worked for international change while fascists pursued nationalist goals
-fascists supported a society with defined classes and found allies among business leaders, wealthy landowners, and the lower middle class
-communists supported a classless society and they won support among both urban and agricultural workers
-they both got power by inspiring a blind devotion to the state
-both used terror to guard their power and both flourished during economic hard times by promoting extreme programs of social change
Looking Ahead
-Three systems of government competed for influence in postwar Europe.
-Democracy endured in Britain and France but faced and uphill struggle in hard times.
-Communism emerged in Russia and won support elsewhere.
-In Italy, fascism offered a different option. As the Great Depression spread, other nations looked to fascist leaders.